The new park, which was originally 2.95 acres (1.19 ha) in size, displaced an entire city block previously occupied by tenements.

[7] In October 1901, Mayor Van Wyck approved an ordinance passed by the New York City Municipal Assembly to lay out a public park on the block and authorized the commencement of condemnation proceedings for property acquisition.

[9][15][16][17] Renovations to the park were made in the mid-1930s, which included the addition of basketball, handball and shuffleboard courts, a roller skating track, and a softball diamond.

The First Avenue Association recommended moving the plaza one block to the north to avoid the park, but acknowledged that this would increase the cost of condemning buildings, including the Eleto Company warehouse on East 38th Street.

Moses planned to fight the proposal to use the park, as the law only allowed the city to transfer property to the tunnel authority that "is not devoted to any other public use."

[30] New parkland was later added in the vicinity of 42nd Street to offset the land taking in St. Gabriel's Park, which resulted in the creation of Robert Moses Playground adjacent to the tunnel's ventilation building.

[31] The western portion of St. Gabriel's Park was subsequently reconstructed to account for tunnel approach roadway with relocations of trees, benches, playground areas and utilities as well as the addition of new fencing and landscaping.

A motion to rename the park was unanimously approved by the New York City Council in April 1978 and was signed into law by Mayor Ed Koch the following month.